Article-orienting mechanism for labeling machines



C. E. KEIL Oct. 21, 1952 ARTICLE-ORIENTING MECHANISM FOR LABELINGMACHINES Filed Aug. 6. 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W Mi 1 w Oct. 21, 1952KEIL, 2,614,681

ARTICLE-ORIENTING MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed Aug. 6. 1949 3Sheets-Sheet 2 C. E. KElL Oct. 21, 1952 ARTICLE-ORIENTING MECHANISM FORLABELING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 6. 1949 jna'enarfilareizce 5 1 I uz- T Low/7 A (1 y:

Patented Oct. 21, 1952 YARTICLE-ORIYENTING MECHANISM roe LABELINGMACHINES Clarence E. Keil, East Peoria, 111., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Geo. J. Meyer Manufacturing 00., Cudahy, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin Application August 6, 1949, Serial No. 108,902

1 This invention pertains to labeling machines and more especially toarticle-orienting or so- Claims. (Cl. 198-33) called spotting apparatusoperative to turn the article which is to be labeled so that the labelwill be accurately applied to a predetermined part of the peripheralsurface of the article. The

. present invention constitutes an improvement in its normal highvelocit to a relatively low substantially constant: velocity-a fixedstop then engaging the projecting element to bring the article to restwith the projecting element in a predetermined position. In themechanism disclosed in the Carter patent, a pair of spaced rotatingdrive rolls anda single idle or abutment roll (the axis of the latterrollbeing in a plane midway between the axes of the two drive rolls) aremoved in opposite directions toward the article so as to engage itsperiphery, the drive rolls being at one side of the article and theidler roll being at its opposite side. This arrangement provides athree-point contact between the article and the positioning anddriving'elements. Such a threepoint' contact appears to becharacteristic of the prior mechanisms of this general type.'

. Howevenwhile devices of this type, in particular apparatus such asshown in the Carter patent above referred to, function verysatisfactorily'at usual prior speeds of operation, for example speedsnot exceeding sixty cycles per minute, it has been found that at thehigh speeds now demanded in modern bottling establishments; for example,ninety or-more cycles per minute, the articles are spun so fast thatthey sometimes escape from between the rolls, spinning outwardly aboutthe contact point of the article with one of the rolls as a fulcrum.

. With a three-point contact, as in the arrangemerit shown'in the Carterpatent, slight inaccuracy or wear of the cam which advances, the rollstoward and from the article, or looseness in the motion-transmittingmechanism, may be sufficient at high speeds, to permit escape of thearticle from between the rolls, in particular, if the article is notabsolutely symmetrical with respect to its axis of rotation, for undersuch-circumstances an eccentric force is developed which is sufiicientto crowd the rolls apart and permit escape of the rapidly rotatingarticle, and this may result in a smash, with serious'injury to nearbyworkmen or to the machine itself.

Attempts have been heretofore made, when using the three-point contactby the use of a single drive roll and tWo spaced idler rolls, todecreasethe arc intervening between'the points of contact of the drive and idlerrolls, by increasing the space between the idler rolls, but this necessitates increased travel of the roll-carrying slides in order to admitthe article between the rolls, and at the very high speedsrequired,'this consumes too large a percentage of the time intervalbetween cycles and introduces difficulties resultant from inertia,slight inaccuracy of the parts and wear suchthat this attempted solutionof the problem has not been successful."

The principal object of the present invention is to provide suchimprovements in the means for rotating the article at the spottingstation as to permit the operation to be carried out successfully atvery high speeds. A further object is to provide mechanism of the abovetype wherein the arc of contact. betweenthe drive and idler rolls issubstantially less than in the machine shown v in the Carter patent, butwithout necessitatingan undesirably long travel of the roll-carryingject' is to provide mechanism of the above type which is simple, ruggedand'reliable in action; A further objectis to provide means forsteadying a tall or long-necked bottle while itis being rotated at thespotting station; A further ob,- ject is to provide article-orientingmechanisjm of the above type having provision for adjusting thearticle-stopping element so as to permit accurate stopping of thearticle and to, accommodate the mechanism for use with articles havingprojections of different sizes. Other and further objects and advantagesof the invention will be pointed out in the following moredetaileddescription and by reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal section, on a planeimmediately above the plane of rotation of the spotting projection onthe article which is being oriented, the machine being of, the generaltype illustrated in the patent to Carter No. 2,426,433;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section, to" larger scale,substantially on the line 22 of Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in vertical section, showingthe upper portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fig; l, and'showing'.

means for steadying the neck of. abottle during the spotting operation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the partsshown in Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive are diagrammatic plan views, partly broken awayand in vertical secti0n, showing various stages in the operation oforienting an article.

The above patent to- Carter No. 2,426,433, dated August 26, 1947, may bereferred to, for suchfurther details of construction asare not hereinfully illustrated.

The article to be oriented is here; shown by way of example as-a bottlehaving a substan tially cylindrical body portion B (Fig. 3) having aprojection P (Fig. 8) which may be, a special tear drop designed solelyfor-- use inspotting or which may be a letter, numeral or-othercharacter or element, which has a primary function inaddition to, itssecondary function; as; a: spotting element.

The; articles; to be oriented: are advanced in succession, step by stepin the direction of the arrow A (Fig. 1) forexample along fixed conveyorrails (Fig.3) by means of a reciprocating feed bar. as is customary inthe art, and. when they arrive at the spotting station S. (Fig. 1) theirforwardyadvance is 1 intermitted. while the spotting. operation takesplace.

In. the following description corresponding parts are designated by thesame reference characters as intheabove-patent to Carter.

At the spotting station, fixedisupports 52 and 6-located at oppositesides of the path of advance of; the'bottles provide guideways forhorizontally movableoposed slides, Land 8 respectively. The slide-lsupports the detecting. and stop elements and abutment rolls. while theslide 8' supports the article-driving rolls. The slides T and 8 aremoved. toward and fromeach other-in properly timedrelation byappropriate means, for example cams:andmotionetransmitting levers (nothere shown) such forexample'as are more fully shown and described intheabove; patent to Carter, the twoslides moving at the same speedand withthe samelengthof stroke;

The slide 8 has a bearingfor the lower end of a. verticalshaft 26. whichis constantly driven (regardless of the position-of the slide)forexample. by gearingas illustrated in the Carterpatent. ,The slide 8also carries. an upstanding post or bracket. 31 (Fig. 3) provided withan overhanging portion 32; at its. upper end in which is a-bearing forthe upper end ofthe shaft25'. This overhanging portion 32- alsohasbearings for the upper ends of a pairofhorizontally spaced, vertical'shafts 33 and 34 (Fig. 1)- respectively, whose lower ends turn in:bearingsprovidedin the slide 8. The: slide '1 also carries-theupstanding post or-bracket- 35 (Fig. 3) provided with the overhangingportion 36 (Fig.4) having a bearing for the upper end of a verticalshaft 37 whose lower end turns in a bearing in the slide 1. On the lowerportion of the constantly rotating shaft 26 there is mounted (Fig. 1) acombined ratchet wheel 44 and spur gear 45. A friction clutch normallytransmits motion from. the rotating shaft 26 to the ratchet wheel andspur gear, as more fully described in the above patent to Carter, but bymeans of a pawl member 51 which may be. engaged with the ratchet wheel44, it is possible to stop the rotation of the ratchet wheel and spurgear 45 without stopping the rotation of the shaftZB. The spur gear 45constantly meshes with pinions (not shown) fixed to the lower ends ofthe shafts 33 and 34 respectively, thus turning the shafts 33 and 34 inthe same direction. These pinions are provided with hub portions onwhich are secured the friction drive rolls 50 and 5| (Fig. 1)respectively formed of suitable friction material, for example rubber,synthetic: rubber, felt orthelike, and which are designedto bear againstthe periphery of the body portion of. the. bottle so as to rotate-thelatter in .the direction of; the arrow W (Fig; l.)

A short vertical shaft 52 (Fig. l) is fixed at its upper end in anopeninginthe-lower part of thebracket 3|. and-atits lower end inxanopening in the slide 8-. On this shaft. there is mounted to turn ahorizontally-elongate housing 54 (Fig. 1). This housin has an. elongatecylindrical bore in which slides the carrier member 56 to whoseleit-hand.end (Fig. l) issecuredthe pawl 51. The-carrier 56.is providedwitha horizontally elongate slot for the accommodation. of the shaft52.. Atiitsright-handend the carrier 56 is shaped to constitute a pistonwhichv slides within the bore in the housing. A: cylindricalreservoir 63is mounted: on; the right-hand1portion of the hous- I ing 54. Thisreservoir 63 is filledwithoil'orother fluid and by; means, of. suitablepassages and valves (as more: fully described. in the above Carterpatent) a dashpot effect is providedfor damping the sliding motion. ofthe pawl carrier 56. A spring 6'! (Fig. 1). bears against the rear sideofthe housing 5.4 at the right-handend 'of the 'latter,.the other endof" the spring engaging a. fixed abutment 68 carried by the slideB. Thespringv 61, thus tends to swing the housing 54 in a clockwise directionso as to engage the pawl 54 with a tooth of. the ratchet wheel 44.

Thehousing 54 is providedwith a cam follower ro1l'l'9 (Fig. 1) turning.about a. vertical axis and designed at times to engage an inclined camsurface iw'formed on a block! adiustably secured to the side of thesupport 6.

Fixed to the upper part of" the housing 54, ad jacent to itsleft-handend, is a. latch member 82 (Fig.- 1) having-a recess 83anda projectinglatch toe 84" at the left-hand end of the recess. This toe- 84- isdesigned to be engaged, at times, by a movable retainer 85. adjustablysecured to-one arm.8.6 of a. bell crank lever'pivoted to turn-on avertical stub shaft 81v carried by the support 6. A spring 8! tends toturn this bell crank in a clockwise. direction. This bell crank has asecond arm 88 (Fig. 1 to which is secured one end ofan elongatedhorizontally extending abutment arm 89 whose substantially straightvertical rear surface is engaged by-a pad 90 at the right-hand end of'anarm 9| of a bell crank secured'to the lower part of the shaft 31. Thisbell crank comprisesa second arm 93 to which there is adjustsurface ofthe body of the bottle.

. 5 Two shafts 96 and 96*- (Fig. 2) are fixed at their upper and lowerends in bores in a block 91 fixed to the bracket or post 35. Idleabutment rolls 98 and 98 housed in a, slot in the block, turn freely onthe respective shafts 96 and 96 A stop member 99 (Figs. 1 and 8) havinga horizontally elongate slot, is adjustably secured I I by means of. abolt 99 to the right-hand face of the block 91. This stop member alsohas a toe portion provided with a beveled face I (Fig. 8) whichis'designed to be engaged by the spotting projection P on the bottle andthus positively to stop rotation of the bottle. As illustrated, (Figs. 5to 8), the stop surface I00 is spaced approximately 10" of are from thedetector 95.

As shown in Fig. 1, a bottle has been delivered to the spotting stationS and the body B of the bottle is confined between the rolls 50 and SIand 98 and 98 respectively, all of which engage the body of the bottleat the sametime, thus providing a four-point contact.

As illustrated, the rolls 50 and 5| are spaced symmetrically withrespect to a diametrical plane of the bottle perpendicular to the pathof advance of the bottle, while-the rolls 99 and 98 are similarlylocated but at the opposite end of As here illustrated the diameter ofthe bottle. the angle between the points'of contact of the I mus so and51. with the bottle is of the order of,

Thus the angled are between the point of conthe roll-5I is so narrow assubstantially to assure the proper confinement of the bottle during thespotting operation, even-though the parts may develop some degree oflooseness or lost motion from the'effects ofwear.

In accordance with the present invention, and

I particularly when the apparatus is designed for spotting tall bottleshaving long necks, provision is made for steadying the bottle during thespotting operation so that it is constrained to rotate about a verticalaxis and cannot nutate and thus set up vibrations which, if notprevented, might be sufiicientto snap off the neck of the .bottle..

To this end a slide IOI (Figs. 3 and 4) having an elongate slot I02, isadjustably. secured by bolts M3 to the'upper face of the overhang 32 ofthe post 3I. Spaced parallel stub shafts I04 and I05 are fixed to'theleft-hand end of the slide IOI. ,Steadying rolls I06 and I0! are mountedto turn freely on the shaftsIM and I05 respectively, these, rollsbeingof suitable material, for example rubber or'felt, for yielding contactwith the bottle neck.

A block 36?- is bolted to the upper part of the post and a slotted,horizontally adjustableslide I08 is connected by bolts I09 to the top ofthis block. steadying rolls H0 and III like the rolls I06 and IN, turnfreely on the stub shafts I12 and H3 fixed to the right-hand end'of theslide I08. The slides IOI and I08 are so relatively adjusted that whenthe rolls 50 and 5!, and 98 and 90 contact the body of the bottle, therolls I06 and I01 and IIO and III engage the bottle neck, thus confiningthe latter'with a four-point contact. If desired, the slides I01 and I08may be yieldingly urged toward each other-by spring meansinstead ofbeing fixed to I bottle-to the orienting or spotting station S, theslides I and 8 are moved apart to the position shown in Fig. 8, so as toprovide free entrance tothe spotting station. The bottle comes to reston the conveyorin a position such that its vertical axis is in thevertical plane which is midway between the axes of the shafts 33 and 34and 96 and 90 ,"respectively, that is to say, a vertical plane which isperpendicular'to the path of advance'of thebottle. The slides I and 8are now moved toward each other until the friction drive rolls 50 and 5|engage the body of the bottle at oneside while the abutment rolls 98 anl98 engage the body of the bottle at the other side. At the same time thesteadying rolls I 06 and I0! and [I0 and III, if the latter areemployed, engage the neck of the bottle at its opposite sides.

The'shaft'20 being constantly rotated at a" permissive speed of theorder of 90 R. P. IVL, turns the combined ratchet wheel and gear 45 bymeans of the friction clutch connections, thus turning the shafts 33 and34 at a predetermined speed in the same direction.' The speed of thedrive rolls '50 and 5| is such as to start the bottle into rotation at ahigh angular velocity.

At the beginning of the operation, the retainer member 85 is inengagement with the toe, thus holding the pawl 51 out of engagement withthe teeth of the ratchet wheel 44, as shown in .Fig. l, so that thelatter, with the gear 45, is free to rotate; As shown in Fig. 5 thespotting projection P has just contacted the detector or feeler member95 and has pushed thelatter radially away from the bottle. This outwardmovement of the detector 95 is accompanied by a swingingof the arms 94and 9| in a clockwise direction about the shaft 37, thus causin the pad90 to bear against the arm so as to swing the arm 89 and the arm '86 ina counterclockwise direction. This movement removes the retainer fromthe latch toe 84, enabling the sprin 'G'I to swing the housing 54 in aclockwise direction so as to cause the pawl or detent 5! to' engage atooth of the ratchet 44. During this movement the detent 85 enters therecess 03. As soon as the pawl 51 engages a tooth of the ratchet 44, thefree rotational movement of'the latter is interfered with and furtherrotation of the ratchet 44 and the gear 45 can only take place aspermitted by the rectilinear recession of the pawl 51, and as a resultof the slippage of the elements of the friction clutch. The pawl maymove slowly to the right, as shown in Fig. 5,

at 'a predetermined rate as permitted by the movement of the fluid inthe dashpot device, thus allowing the gear 45 to turn, but at a muchslower rate than initially. C'orrespondingly, the

rotative speed of the drive rolls 50 and El is very much reduced fromnormal so that the speed of rotation of the bottleis reduced from itsoriginal high angular velocity to a very low angularvelocity immediatelyafter the spotting projection P engages and actuates the detector 95.The bottle now continuesto turn at this Very slow angular velocity untilthe spotting projection P engages the stop surface I00 of the stopmember 09. Although during this travel (Fig. 6) of the projection P, itdisengages the detector and the retainer 85 is still within the recess83 so that the pawl 51 still engages the ratchet wheel 4'4.

When the spotting projection B-engages the fixed,

stop I (Fig. '7), rotation of the bottle is positively stopped, thefriction rolls 50and 5| then slipping on the bottle at their points ofcontact. As soon as the bottle is thus stopped, the slides 1 and 8 areretracted, to the initial position of Fig. 8, thus removing the rolls 5Dand 5| and 9.8

and Sill. from the body of the bottle and simulta neously. removing thesteadying rolls," if used, from, the neck of the bottle. the stop 99 andthe detector 35 are withdrawn from the bottle so that the latter is freeto be moved; along the conveyor While another bottle is beingadvancedinto the spotting station;

As the slide llmoves to the right, the roll, 19 engages the inclined,cam surface 80, thus swinging the housing. 54' in av counterclockwisedirection until the retainer 85 is permitted to ride up over the latchtoe. 84, thus disengaging the pawl 5-! from the ratchet 44 and holdingit out of engagement with the ratchet until the beginning of the nextcycle of operation. I

The arrangement as thus described, permits a very rapid rotation of thebottle, for example such that whatever the angular position of thespotting projection, as the bottle enters the spotting station, thespotting operation may be completed within a period of, for example/90th of a minute, the initial speedof rotation of the bottle beingsuddenly reduced as the spotting projection encounters the feeler sothat when the spotting projection contacts the fixed stop surface IDD,the velocity is so small that there is no danger of breakage or rebound.

As above pointed out, by the use of the fourpoint contact, the bottleisso confined during the spotting operation that it cannot escape eventhough driven at the extreme high initial velocity above suggested. Bythe employment of the steadying rolls which engage the neck of thebottle, it is possible to impart this high speed of rotation to a tallbottle, even though the drive rolls engage the bottle near the lowerpart of its body, without danger of tipping the bottle even though itscenter of gravity be eccentrically located.

While a bottle has here been suggested as the article which is to beoriented or spotted, it is to lee-understood thata bottle has beenreferred to merely by way of example and that the apparatus isuseiul inorienting articles other than botties, for example jars or cartons,particularly those which are cylindrical or substantially cylindrical,and which must be properly positioned prior to the application of alabel. Moreover, while but two idle or abutment rolls are hereillustrated, it is obvious that more than two such rolls may be employedif desirable, and thus, when reference is made to a pair of rolls, it isnot intended thereby to exclude a greater number than two.

While a desirable embodiment of the invention has herein beenillustrated by way of example,.

it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of anyand all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims,and while the invention has herein been described with particularreference to its embodiment in a machine such as shown in the abovepatent to Carter, it is to be understood that in its broader aspects itis capable of embodiment in spotting machines of other types.

I claim:

1; In a combination, in an article-orienting At the same time;

apparatus of: the kind-wherein successive articles, each having aprojecting stop element, areidelivered in succession, to a spottingstation, and having article-rotating means at the spottingstationincluding a pair of spaced drive rolls en.- gageable with theperiphery of the article for rotating the latter, two spaced abutmentrolls dis-' posed respectively at oppositesides of a diameter of thearticle passing midway'between'the'axis of the drive rolls, a detectorlocated between the-abutment rolls and engageable by the projection, onthe article as the latter iszrotated' by the drive rolls, and means formoving the two sets; of rolls toward and from each.other simultaneously.I

2. In combination in an article-orienting apparatus of the kind whereinsuccessive articles, each having a projecting stop element, aredelivered in succession-to a spotting station, articleconfining elementsat said station providing a four-point contact with the article when itis positioned at the spotting station, said articleconfining elementscomprising two drive rolls and two abutmentrolls, the arc of contactbetween corresponding rolls of the opposite sets with the surface of thearticle being of the order of 124. v r

3; In combination in an article-orienting apparatus of the-kind" whereinsuccessive articles, each having a projecting stop element, aredelivered in succession to a spotting station, and article-confiningelements providing a four-point contact withthe article whenit ispositioned at; the spotting station, said confining elements comprisingtwo driven rolls and two abutment rolls, and means for moving eachrespective pair of rolls, as a unit, toward and from an articlepositioned at the spottingstation at: a speedof the order of cycles perminute.

4; In combination' in an'article-orienting apparatus of the kind whereinsuccessive articles, each having a projecting stop element, aredelivered in succession to a spotting station, and article-confiningelements providing a four-point contact with the article when it ispositioned at the spotting station, said confining elements comprisingtwo spaced driven rolls turning about livered in succession to aspotting station, and

wherein the article, while at the spotting station, is turned by twospaced driven rolls located adjacent to one end of the diameter of thearticle, characterized in that the article is held in contact, with thedrive rolls during the spotting operation by two freely rotatableabutment, rolls turning about parallel axes and disposed adjacent to theopposite end of said diameter of the article, the points of contact ofsaid abutmentrolls with the article being closer togetherthan the pointsof contact of the drive roll with the article. 1

6. In combination in an article-orienting apparatus of the kind whereinsuccessive articles, each having a projecting stop element, aredelivered in succession to a spotting station, and

' ing spaced elements, engageable with the periph- 9. Article-orientingapparatus of the class described wherein bottles, each having a neck anda substantially cylindrical body having a peripheral projection, areadvanced one by one to ery of the article adjacent to the opposite endof said diameter, said elements being spaced apart approximately 46 ofarc.

'7. In combination in article-orienting apparatus wherein successivearticles, each having a peripheral projection, are delivered insuccession to a spotting station and having means at the spottingstation for rotating an article, said articlerotating means includingtwo drive rolls turning in the same direction about parallel axes and sospaced that they contact the periphery of the article at pointsapproximately 66 apart, spaced article-contacting abutment rollsdisposed respectively at the opposite sides of that diameter of thearticle which bisects the angle between the points of contact of thedrive rolls, that abutment roll which is nearest to the drive roll whichis, last to contact the article being so located as to contact theperiphery of the article at a point spaced approximately 124 from thepoint of contact of the last-named drive roll with the article.

8. In combination in article-orienting apparatus wherein successivearticles, each having a peripheral projection, are delivered insuccession to a spotting station and having means at the spottingstation for rotating the article, said article-rotating means includinga pair of drive rolls turning in the same direction about parallel axesand so spaced that they contact the periphery of the article at pointsapproximately 66 apart, a pair of spaced abutment rolls dis- ,posedsymmetrically with respect to that diameter of the article which bisectsthe angle 'between the points of contact of the drive rolls with thearticle, the abutment rolls being so spaced apart that the are betweentheir points of contact with the periphery of the article is of theorder of 46, and means for moving the two sets of rolls toward and fromeach other simulvtaneously.

a spotting station, bottle-confining elements at said station comprisinga pair of spaced drive rolls located at one side of the path of advanceof the bottle, a pair of idle rolls located at the opposite side of thepath of advance of the bottle, slides supporting the respective rolls,means for moving the slides simultaneously to engage the rolls with thebottle, and a pair of steadying rolls mounted on each slide andengageable with the neck portion of the bottle while the latter is beingrotated by the drive rolls.

10. Article-orienting apparatus of the class described wherein bottles,each having a neck and a substantially cylindrical body having aperipheral projection, are advanced one by one to a spotting station,bottle-confining elements at said station comprising a pair of spaceddrive rolls turning in the same direction about parallel axes andlocated at one side of the path of advance of the bottle, a pair of idleabutment rolls rotatable about parallel axes and located at the oppositeside of the path of advance of the bottle, slides supporting therespective pairs of rolls, means for moving the slides simultaneously toengage the rolls of each respective pair with the periphery of the body,and a detector element carried by the slide which supports the abutmentrolls and which is engageable by the projection on the body of thebottle as the latter is rotated.

CLARENCE E. KEIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Carter Aug. 26, 1947

